Letter: Issue is not gun control or reform, but access

Both Mr. Kristof (TCH Oct. 6) and Mr. Thomasson (TCH Oct. 8) miss the point. The issue is not gun control or reform, but access.

Mr. Thomasson offers no analysis nor solution. Mr. Kristof’s suggestions are noble but mere band aids.

Until America’s mental health system (which Mr. Kristof correctly states is a disgrace) is constitutionally fixed to meet ACLU objections, individuals with serious mental health issues will never appear on the background check radar. Who will be mandatory reporters? Mechanisms for families to identify potential impaired members? Once identified how is record cleared? Will this discourage treatment?

My suggestions: Conduct background checks (national database) for any transfer on all transferees. Failure to conduct check renders transferor subject to criminal conviction and strict civil liability for damage cause by unchecked or disqualified transferees. Implement process to have mentally impaired individuals identified and added to database (herein lies the ACLU rub). Until we can do the latter, the former will only be a 10 percent solution.

Finally, any gun owner who does not reasonably prevent access by others should be held criminally negligent and strictly civilly liable for damages.

Kennewick

This story was originally published October 21, 2015 at 6:51 PM with the headline "Letter: Issue is not gun control or reform, but access."